


Burning Blue

by StalkerOfStories (MeepTheAngriestMareep)



Series: Burning Blue [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Harry Potter References, How Do I Tag, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Insert, Star Wars References, quotes and references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-09 16:32:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 11,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5547407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeepTheAngriestMareep/pseuds/StalkerOfStories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once upon a time, there was a young woman who then died in a fire. One moment she was burning, screaming, and the next, cold air, a baby's wail, the feeling of nakedness and sudden lack of any sort of limb coordination. Reborn with all her memories intact. That's what happened to her. To me. I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation and I am a monster. OC INSERT AS AZULA. SLOW UPDATES</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 00

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is a self-indulgent fic, that takes inspiration from many various other fics, notably **Embers by Vathara** and **Dreaming of Sunshine by Silver Queen**. I do attempt to not plagiarize, but words are not my forte.

Once upon a time, there was a young woman who went to school. She was studying something Science-y at a university. And then some asshole blew up the school. While she, and many other people, were in it. The school went down in flames, and the woman died.

Where am I going with this? Well, if you peasants would be patient, I was getting there!

As I was saying, the woman died in the fire. Tragic, isn't it? I mean, one moment she was burning, screaming in excruciating pain, her skin blistering, nerves set on fucking fire, and the next, cold cold air, a baby's wail, the feeling of nakedness and sudden lack of any sort of limb coordination.

… Ah. I see you get it now.

Yes, that's right. _Reincarnation._

The young woman was reborn. Reincarnation is real, _but_ I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to have memories of your past life when you are reborn.

Yes. Reborn with memories intact. That's what happened to her. To _me._

Who I _was_ isn't important to this story, other than the fact that I remember my life before rebirth.

Who I am _now_ is. Why? Because I have seen where I am now, _who I am now_ , on TV, comics, fanart, and fanfiction. 

I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation and I...

.

.

.

... am an aberration.


	2. 01

I was born at noon, in the middle of summer. An auspicious time for the Fire Nation. The weather was perfect; warm and humid. But to a newborn baby whose skin has yet to experience anything other than the warm comfort of her mother’s womb, it's _freezing._

Disorientation, confusion, and denial. I felt all these things but didn't at the same time. For those who know how the brain works, congrats. You can probably theorize why.

For those who don't, the brain works basically by connecting nerve cells and sending electric impulses down the axons, like a cable, to another cell's receptors. As a newborn baby, only the connections forming basic instincts are present. Usually. Granted, brain development varies greatly for each individual. But for now, just assume that a baby's brain only has the basic instincts center developed, the hypothalamus, and is generally incapable of conscious, rational _connected and streamlined_ thought, which mostly occurs in the cerebral cortex, or the prefrontal cortex. Generally, it isn't fully developed at birth and connections that assist conscious thought are nonexistent. Therefore, their thought processes are flighty, fluttery, scattered. 

_My_ thoughts were a mess. I couldn't think properly. Couldn't really do anything much. 

So I was an angry baby, kicking and snarling and screaming. Lashing out at everything. 

I was disoriented and confused, and it didn't help that my baby brain was being overloaded by input from both without and within. There are theories of what exactly the mind is, most of them involve the idea that the mind has a metaphysical component, intangible and immeasurable. Fact. Otherwise how would I have been able to remember _Before?_

_That_ was the problem. I could remember Before. It was being downloaded into my baby brain, along with input from the outside world. Like filling a container with two pipes, one with milk and the other with orange juice. Sounds disgusting, right? They are _not_ supposed to be mixed. Thing is, both pipes are trying to fill up the container without consideration of the other so they're functioning at maximum capacity. The pipes are also different sizes, and the container is rather small to begin with. The container _can_ expand, but it can only do so slowly. So what happens when you fill it too fast? Overflow, spills, stuff is lost, damaging the container, _breaking_ the container even. In addition to that, the mixture itself is _nasty._ Disgusting. And once it's mixed, it can't be undone by normal means. Once the container is broken, it can never be the same again. It can be _mended_ or _repaired_ but never will it be whole again.

…Obviously, I am _exceedingly_ lucky not to be completely insane. I was probably a bit of a sociopath before and being born again with memories can be damaging, the same way trauma is damaging to one's psyche. Not to mention this life's upbringing…

.

Baby Azula:  



	3. 02

Babies need a lot of sleep so I was mostly unconscious during my pre-toddler phase. When I wasn't raging at the world that is. My periods of unconsciousness were useful for more than just growing. Memories from Before could be downloaded without being mixed with sensations from now. 

I dreamed a lot of Before. Kind of like my life flashing in front of me and sometimes when I woke up, I was still stuck in my memories.

_"Want to help me bake cookies, A----?" "Yeah! Choc chip!" **"I'm Luke Skywalker! You can be… a battle droid. 'Cuz they aren't important." "HEY--!"** "HA HA HAHA HAAA! I WIN I WIN!" **"Slytherin's the best House, though Ravenclaw's a close second."** "That's just 'cuz you're using MY deck!" **"No, Gryffindor's the best! We have Harry Potter!"** "You have like ten anyway! But I end up summoning all the epic monsters 'cuz I'm just that awesome!" **"Pssh, he's secretly a Slytherin! The Hat said so! We almost had him, anyway."** "Pssh, no you're not! That's just beginner's luck--!" **"ALMOST! Almost isn't good enough, we actually HAD him! Slytherin sucks!"** "Hey! Congrats on getting into-- **You're taking Calc too this semester, right?** \--Ooh, genetics~ Gonna take-- **You should take this class with me for a Chem minor** \--Merry Chris--Happy N--Birthday to you--Shitfuck FIRE!!-- **NO!"**_

Eyes snap open. Realize that they're gone, _they're gone…_ Choking gasps. Whimper then wail. _Dreamsandmemories._ Mother's comforting embrace, caring for her baby. Guilt _guilt **guilt.**_ I'm not really Ursa's baby girl. After all, memories make up who you are, your experiences shape your personality and stuff.

_"…will never be a memory…"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops angst. This wasn't supposed to be so angsty?


	4. 03

I think I may have caused my new parents some concern and or distress by waking up and screaming constantly. I was seen to by various healers and doctors who all said I was completely healthy.

Physically, at least.

Which they may have caught onto. They called on the Fire Sages.

.

In the Royal nursery, a beautiful woman fusses over a crying baby girl. The woman's red painted lips and thin, arched eyebrows form a worried expression. Strands of her long raven black hair slip out of its elaborate hairstyle. The lavish red robe she dons is creased due to the constant worried movements and crumpled where she clenched her hands on her thighs. Her husband sits next to her, face stoic save for the concerned crease of his forehead.

A knock on the door draws the couple's attention away from the wailing baby. The man calls out, "Enter."

The door opens. A servant girl quickly walks in and bows deeply. "Prince Ozai. Princess Ursa. The Fire Sages have arrived."

Unnoticed by all but Ursa, Azula's crying turns to quiet sniffles with the occasional hiccup. As if she was trying to silence herself and become one with the shadows, unnoticed, invisible.

"Bring them here," commands the man, Ozai. The servant girl bows again and leaves. Two minutes later, she returns with two older men with red robes and long conical hats. The hats were red and honestly, kind of looked like red octopi with horns between their eyes were on the heads of old, bearded men.

.

They totally do. Look, see:

.

The servant girl bows deeply again. "Fire Sage Pai and Fire Sage Sho, Your Highnesses."

Ozai nods once sharply. "You are dismissed." Once again, the servant girl bows and leaves.

The older fire sage, Sho, steps forward. "Prince Ozai, Princess Ursa. While it is an honour to serve the Fire Lord's family, we were not informed as to why we were summoned."

A moment's pause.

"My daughter," Ursa answers. "She's always crying, unless she's asleep. Even then, she wakes up crying."

The sages move closer to look at the now quietly sniffling Azula. The younger sage, Pai, opens his mouth. "Well, she's certainly not crying now."

"She stopped when you came in," Ursa elaborates. "We've had many doctors and healers come to see her and they have all said she's in the peak of health and that there isn't anything wrong with her."

"The general consensus is that whatever is causing my daughter to cry constantly is not _physical. If_ there is something wrong with my daughter, the many healers believe it is a _spiritual_ problem. That is why we sent for the Fire Sages."

In Ursa's arms, Azula shudders silently. She starts to take quick, shallow breaths. Squeaky whimpers fall from he lips. Ursa tries to hush and comfort her to prevent Azula from breaking out into tears again.

.

I may have had a bit of a panic attack. I was _terrified_ of what would happen if people found out I wasn't what they think. I would've been _killed. Again._ I didn't want to die again. Not so soon, at least.

.

The sages are surprised. "A spiritual..?" "Perhaps she is spirit-touched…?"

The duo of sages look at each other. Sho frowns questioningly at the younger Pai. "You think she may be spirit-touched?"

Pai shrugs. "It was a guess? If there is nothing physical that is causing the child to cry, then it must be because of the spirits. And Princess Ursa said she quieted when we arrived, therefore…"

"Spirit touched is the only logical conclusion, yes," Sho agrees. Together, Pai and Sho turn to face Ozai. "Your Highnesses, it is very likely your daughter is spirit touched. We may have to consult the elder Sages, but it should pass with time. If your daughter is truly spirit touched, there will be more signs of it as she grows. But for now, it is best to treat her as you would an ordinary child and wait out the crying. It may just be a phase."

"A phase?" Ozai frowns.

Pai nods. "An adjustment phase. Newborns have to learn to adapt to the outside world. The time it takes differs from child to child. Or she may just be a cranky babe. Those happen, she'll grow out of it though. It was the case with my cousin's daughter. She was cranky for a month and a half."

"But three and a half months?" Ursa asks worriedly.

Sho sighs. He moves closer to Ursa and Azula. "May I?"

"Oh! Yes." Ursa moves to hand Azula over to Fire Sage Sho. Azula cries out.

"…Best you hold her then. I shall just check her chakra, starting with the Seventh, the seat of the soul. It is located on the crown of one's head." Sho then moves a had towards Azula's head. She flinches away from his hand. The flames of all the candles and lanterns suddenly flare, brightening the room.

Fire Sage Sho freezes. Fire Sage Pai's jaw visibly drops. Ozai and Ursa squint in the sudden bright light. Sho withdraws his hand. The flames stop flaring, the lighting returns to normal. 

Stunned silence.

Pai coughs. "Well, if that isn't a sign from Agni himself, I'm retiring."

.

And so I was revealed to be probably _Spirit Touched._ At least that's what the Fire Sages concluded. I wasn't found out and so I wasn't killed.

…Now, I realize that it could have been easier if I did die. I would have been able to see people from Before again, join them in the after life and wait for the others. But it didn't occur to me _then_. Don't know why. Probably because I died _young,_ without really _living_ first.

Anyway, I wasn't caught so five points to me. For _sheer dumb luck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had issues writing this chapter. No ideas were coming so BS'ed it
> 
> btw, notice the names of the Fire Sages?? :D And to those in the know, yes, McGonagall is Queen and must be referenced at least once


	5. 04

I was so relieved that I managed to not be killed. I didn't wake up screaming for a few days after that. Stress made my sleep dreamless. Also, I was _exhausted_ for those days. Didn't really do much. _Couldn't_ really do much. No energy to do things. Except think.

And I thought a _lot_. About the mysteries of the universe, my place in it, et cetera. Mostly, my situation.

I recalled my desperation not to die that day. If I was really dead, theoretically I wouldn't worry about that because I'd be dead either way. I used to think this new life was a really long coma-hallucination dream thing. And I remembered the theory of when a person dies in their dreams, they die in real life too. For a while, I used that to rationalize my reaction to the possible threat of death. Continually denying that this was my new reality.

… that didn't last very long. While I have always been a stubborn person, I also rarely hid things from myself. I didn't have the habit of deluding myself. I mean, I could lie and lie to even myself but _it never lasts_. Too grounded in reality, some would say. Not true, I would argue. I can fantasize just as much as Luna Lovegood if I felt like it. But I would always _always_ return to reality, acknowledging while fantasy is great, _this_ is my reality; this is what _I have_.

So, yes. Denial didn't last long. _This is my new reality_. I came to terms with that fact suddenly and it would have broken me, had I not gone through parts of the grieving process, reliving the happy memories and the sad realization that _they were gone_. It still aches a little even now, but it's a good ache. Like stretching a scar. I would never forget and push aside Before; it is what kept me mostly sane to this day. But the past is in the past. It's certainly something that I'll sorely miss, but I died. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back…

Moving on so I don't depress myself. Once I came to accept my situation, I… mellowed, you could say. My crying and screaming lessened a lot; something Ursa, Ozai and the many servants that attended to us no doubt appreciated.

Eventually I began regarding my situation as a second chance of sorts. A chance to be everything I wasn't but wanted to be before. To be great, memorable, _better_. To actually do _something_ with my life. I could enjoy my childhood and not squander my youth as most did, my past self included. I'd appreciate all the things that I once took for granted; a loving family, educational opportunities, things like that.

And I would start by learning to love my new family.


	6. 05

The day Mother introduced me to Zuko was… memorable, to say the least.

.

Ursa was holding me and wiggling her fingers in my face.

…I have no logical reason why that amused me so and held all my attention. I didn't even notice another person, Zuko, approaching.

"Mom?"

Ursa stopped wiggling her fingers in my face and smiled at Zuko. She was very pretty, some part in the back of my mind acknowledged. I nabbed a finger and…. Put it in my mouth…

Then I realized what I was doing and pulled out Ursa's forefinger and just held it with a chubby little fist.

"Zuko, come here," Mother said softly and Zuko quickly, for a two year old, came over. Ursa then proceeded to _boop me on the nose_. I attempted to make an indignant noise. Then I tried glaring at her. It was not a pout.

"Zuko, this is your new sister, Azula." This prompted Zuko to peer closely and curiously at me. I then stared back at him.

He looked normal. Small child face, chubby with baby fat. Short, somewhat spiky black hair. Like any other Asian boy kid. Except for the eyes. They were gold. Pretty pretty gold.

We stared at each other in silence for a bit. Then Zuko opened his mouth.

"She's so… squishy looking." _Excusez-moi??_

Mother laughed softly, "she's a baby, Zuko. You used to look just as squishy when you were a baby."

Zuko gave Ursa an incredulous look. Then he looked back at me and _poked me in the cheek. Twice._

In retaliation, I grabbed the offending _poking_ hand and _bit_ him.

…Or gummed him. I had no teeth yet.

"Aww, look. She likes you, Zuko." No I _didn't._

Zuko pulled his hand away. It was covered in drool. Oops?

"Ew! She _drooled_ on me, Mom!"

_Vengeance_. No one calls me squishy and gets away with it.

.

…and that was how I met my dear brother Zuko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azula switches between Mother and Ursa on purpose. It's her adjusting to new life, new family, etc. Actually accepting that it is her new reality instead of denial and rejection of said reality.
> 
> Also being cross-posted on ff.net under same title, username: AspectsOfEccentricity


	7. 06

A child's first birthday is always significant. It means that the child has managed to last a full year and usually managed to somehow work its way into the hearts of its immediate family. The child in question generally isn't aware of this milestone's significance.

Unless said child is born with memories of its previous life. Then they _are_ aware of its significance. I certainly was.

Of course, it may or may not have anything to do with me suddenly getting metaphorically smacked in the face with the fact that this was _Avatar_.

.

As it was the first birthday of a member of the royal family, my birthday was made into a massive huge celebration.

It also lasted three days.

Rich people. Royalty. Careless spending. Frivolous excess of the bourgeoisie. It's really infuria--oh wait, _I'm_ one now too. That's… going to take some getting used to.

Speaking of ridiculous spending, the first day was the day of presents. Nobles from all over the Fire Nation would either come to pay respects to my grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon, and drop off ridiculously expensive presents, or send a messenger to do that.

The presents were all very shiny and useless. Fancy vases, tapestries, jewelry, paintings, and so on. Pretty to look at, also of absolutely no use to a baby.

Granted, normal babies don't care about the presents as long as they are the center of attention. Plus, they're babies.

.

Skipping to the afternoon of the third day, because the other two days were a blur.

People gathered in a plaza, on the western side of the palace. It was one of the few places of the Fire Lord's palace that was open to the general public.

My family was seated in an elevated roofed area, closest to the palace, but with the plaza clearly visible from where we were seated. We were also visible to most of the plaza. My grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon was front and center. To his right sat Uncle Iroh, followed by his son, Lu Ten. On Grandfather's left was Father, followed by Mother. I was seated on Father's lap, and Zuko was on Mother's.

People filled the plaza, save for a space where a long raised platform was placed almost directly in front of where my family was sitting.

A man dressed in elaborate red robes stepped up onto the center of the platform and gave a speech.

"On this day, one year past, Prince Ozai's family was blessed with a new addition…" _Blah blah blah._ I didn't listen after that, but it was probably propaganda and bullshit about Agni blessing the Fire Lord's family, the glory of the Fire Nation, and more.

Once he was done, he motioned to two people, one on each end of the platform, and quickly stepped down and away from the platform. The two men who stepped up onto the platform wore nothing but a single thin red robe, which they removed and cast aside, and a pair of loose white pants that were taped down at the ends of the legs, which were mid-calf. It made the pants look poofy.

The two men briskly marched to the center of the platform and bowed to Grandfather. Their hands formed the stylized fire symbol with one open palm held vertically above a closed fist. After they rose from their bow, they walked back to the ends of the platform and faced each other.

Quiet murmurs of anticipation filled the air.

The excitement in the air was contagious; I leaned forward, curiously excited. From what I've seen, the Fire Nation was really similar to various Asian cultures and so I expected the two men to do a demonstration of martial arts or an interpretive dance. _Before_ me had only seen such things on TV or the internet and they were always impressive. When the two men took a ready fighting stance, I happily expected to be wowed.

And then they punched fire at each other.


	8. 07

_They punched fire at each other._

My eyes went wide and I gaped. I was definitely wowed, amazed. The duel was impressive with its flashy fire effects. Within a minute, I was grinning, elated. It was just like in _Avatar_.

That thought made my mind screech to a halt. Avatar. Fire Nation. Fire _Lord. Zuko._ At that, I turned my head to look at my brother. He was leaning forward, being held by Mother to keep him from tumbling off her lap, oohing and ahhing at the fire duel. Happy. Innocent.

"Azula." Father, _Ozai,_ quietly called my attention. I looked up at him and he turned my head to face the firebenders. "Watch the duel, Azula. Those are imperial firebenders. One of them may become your tutor when you show proof of Agni's blessing."

 _Azula. I'm_ Azula. Princess Crazy Blue Fire. I shuddered in horror, fear, or horrified fear. Villain. _Monster_.

As I stared out, but didn't see, the fire duel continued. The duelists' moves becoming more and more impressive and flashy.

 _I'm Azula._ I'm _Azula. I'm_ Azula _. I'm Azula._ I'm _Azula. I'm_ Azula _. I'm Azula._ I'm _Azula. I'm_ Azula _. I'm Azula._ I'm _Azula. I'm_ Azula _. I'm Azula._ I'm _Azula. I'm_ Azula _. I'm Azula._ I'm _Azula. I'm_ Azula _. I'm Azula._ I'm _Azula. I'm_ Azula _._

The duelists simultaneously punched out a massive flame towards the center of the stage. The flames collided and combined, forming a giant pillar of flame.

_I. Am. **Azula**._

The fire was cut off, the pillar of flame collapsed into smoke and small sparking embers. Awed silence fell over the plaza.

A beat.

Raucous applause burst out all at once. People cheered, whooped in glee, gaily shouting praises to the two firebenders and amazement to each other.

_I'm Azula._

_…_

_… Fuck my life._


	9. 08

The week after my first birthday celebration was a week of contemplation for me.

I mentally debated with myself the pros and cons of changing things. My sudden silence may have weirded out Mother, who was used to me being a vocal, energetic baby. If she thought it was strange, I didn't notice.

First, the obvious cons of changing things:

Ripple effect, one small alteration causes everything to change and I lose my advantage of knowing the 'future'. Also, if I'm caught or people start to suspect me of knowing the future or being an impostor or spy… Possible unpleasant things, but at least it's not _Naruto_ , where I would probably end up being killed if my foreknowledge was revealed. I _could_ possibly disguise it as a vision from the spirits if I'm only caught once or twice. More than that is likely to make people suspicious.

The potential pros of deviating from canon:

I can save people, be a hero, stop people from getting hurt. …Honestly, I didn't have a lot of arguments for why I _should_ change things. Canon ended up mostly fine. But then again, canon Azula went insane. Not where I want to end up.

If I do decide to change things, what events did I remember? Sozin's Comet, Melon Lord thing, Ember Island Players, Cactus Juice and mushrooms, Ran and Sho with the Sun Warriors, Eclipse Invasion, Invasion of the North, Zuko getting banished, Ursa disappearing…

The events relevant to me, as Azula: Zuko's banishment, Lu Ten's death in Ba Sing Se, Mother's disappearance and Grandfather's death, Eclipse Invasion, Sozin's Comet, Azula's Infiltration and Take Over of Ba Sing Se…

I was probably forgetting some events, but my knowledge of _Avatar_ canon was limited. Canon events didn't occur until Zuko was… ten or so, since Ursa disappeared about two years before his banishment at thirteen.

For Azula, I think the turning point for her in canon was when she first bent fire at a really young age. That got Ozai to notice her genius and train her personally or something. So until then, I can put off deciding whether or not I actually will change things.

I'd just do what I want until canon events start. Nothing really matters until Mother's disappearance, so I could put the decision to mess with canon and change things aside. Until then, I'd decided to enjoy myself and live my life with no worries. _Hakuna Matata_.

After all, I have always been a selfish, lazy person.


	10. 09

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time skips in this chapter.

At eight months old, I could crawl and sit up. At fifteen months, I could stumble around unsteadily on my own and speak short and simple sentences. It was at that age I was tentatively dubbed a fast developer.

Zuko was delighted, he could actually talk to me and I could talk back. That amused me. Also I'd sometimes babble at him in English and he'd always end up with a hilariously bewildered face. That was _even more amusing_. Mother also apparently found our antics to be adorable. Ozai may also have found Zuko and I funny; he laughed or chuckled whenever I baffled Zuko. It was _weird_. I kept expecting him to be as evil as he was portrayed to be in _Avatar_ canon… And he wasn't. He was a surprisingly decent dad.

At two years old, I could run properly. Sort of. I wasn't exactly fast and nimble, _I was two._ Zuko and I would often play tag with cousin Lu Ten in the palace gardens. Iroh's son, Lu Ten. He was in his early teens and had school and firebending training so we only saw him on weekends and holidays. He was more of an epic older brother figure than a close cousin, treated Zuko and I like the younger siblings he never had.

At two and a half, I had mastered the basics of reading and speaking, the speaking more than the reading. _Before_ me once took Japanese in high school with her friends, but that was long before now, so I forgot some things. The script of the Fire Nation is a mix of traditional Chinese, Japanese Kanji, some Hiragana, and something else I didn't recognize. And by mastering the basics, I mean I remembered and memorized all the hiragana and the most important symbol in the Fire Nation: the symbol for fire. Granted, it was the one kanji I never forgot because of how I remembered it. _Before_ me remembered it like this: it's a person on fire. Or more specifically, it's the kanji for person with two small lines, the 'fires', floating near the head of the person. Which somehow translated to person on fire.

* * *

 

Proof:  


* * *

 

After my family discovered I could read, I was tentatively labelled genius. They made me join Zuko in his tutoring sessions, learning basic math, history and some firebending theory.

The math I could do in my sleep, not that I showed anyone. I used Zuko as my measuring stick in that. It was just basic math, as in counting, adding and subtracting. No integrals and partial derivatives, _oh Agni no flashbacks please_.

Learning about the history of the Fire Nation was fun for a small child. The tutors told us myths and legends about dragons and the spirit world. They taught us about the founding of the Fire Nation, where the title Fire Lord came from.

Apparently, the Fire Nation used to be simply the Fire Archipelago, with individual clans and their people on separate islands. They were near constantly at war with all the others, territory disputes over resources or something. Rather similar to the Warring States Era of Japan. Then a group of firebenders, from the island that is now Fire Nation Capital, rose up and united the islands under the banner of the Fire Nation after a glorious campaign. That group of master firebenders became the first Fire Sages. But the newly united nation was too used to having a liege lord, a clan head, ruling over them and so they elevated the leader of the Fire Sages to Fire Lord and his family, _our family_ , has ruled the Fire Nation benevolently ever since.

I had no idea whether it was true, partially true, or just propaganda. The best lies are based on truth so it was probably true stories, twisted and omitted to fit the biased view the Fire Nation wants their people indoctrinated to.

Firebending theory was… I would like to be able to say interesting, but it wasn't.

To summarize, use anger, hate, and the will to dominate as fuel to create fire. Channel chi, dictate it's movements with your strength of will. Be a vicious, fire-breathing ball of hatred. Feed the flames of wrath, but don't let it consume you. Embrace the hate and anger.

Not exactly promoting a healthy mind set. Although, it kind of reminded me of _Star Wars_ , the Sith and the Dark Side, specifically. Using hate and anger and _rage_ and _despair_ to access the power of the Dark. The negative feelings give the strength and ability to utilize the Dark Force. Change power of the Dark with power of Fire and replace despair with desire to dominate and Dark Force with Agni's blessing, and then you have the Fire Nation's current take on firebending theory.

It's bullshit. And propaganda. Granted, it's bullshit that works, but still bullshit. I was sure that there was a proper way to bend fire, but at that time I didn't know it.

At three, I was started on the basic katas of firebending forms, which also double as self-defense forms for non-benders. Mostly, it was stretching, how to stand right, how to _fall_ right, very basic stances. It was very repetitive. I did realize it was supposed to build up muscle memory, but it was still boring.

I was also started on the breathing techniques that are necessary to firebending. Deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Repeat. Again and again, in order to train good habits in early.

At four years old, I bent my first flame. That was when my carefree second childhood started going out the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> History of the Fire Nation taken off the wiki, and warped to suit propaganda (The Fire Nation certainly did not form, collapse, and reform, no of course not. We're Fire Nation, we only have to try once to find success.)


	11. 10

I bent fire at four.

We were out on the beach beside our vacation home on Ember Island. By we, I mean Mother, Father, Zuko and me.

Zuko and I were running around in the sand while our parents sat in the shade of a parasol watching us. We were playing tag and I tripped over a rock.

Only, it wasn't a rock. It was a turtle crab, and it was angry that I disturbed it by tripping over it. The turtle crab snapped on of its claws at me, and I, startled, threw an arm out to smack it way. Flames sprouted as I swiped my hand at the turtle crab.

It was a normal, orange flame, not Azula's trademark blue. Which was fine, because I was sure that even canon Azula didn't start with blue fire.

Until I had accidentally bent, I wasn't even sure if I _could_ bend fire. I'd replaced the original canon Azula after all.

But, anyway, I bent fire at the turtle crab and it burrowed away into the sand because fire.

Zuko congratulated me, but it was obvious that he was put out that I managed to firebend before him. Father was ecstatic, for him at least. Mother smiled and echoed Zuko's congratulations.

* * *

 

As I said, that event was the point of no return for my second childhood. Suddenly, I was no longer just an early bloomer, but a budding genius, a prodigy, an _investment_.

People started taking notice of me as more than simply the Fire Lord's granddaughter, a princess of the secondary line. I admit that it did wonderful things for my ego, being praised as a prodigy.

Firebending training replaced history lessons. Strangely enough, Zuko's history lessons were replaced by more kata practice too. Probably to subtly encourage, read _pressure_ , him to show proof of Agni's blessing.

The training was not too hard. It was demanding, the teachers were somewhat strict, but that's to be expected when they're teaching you to play with fire. If I had been in my old body, I'd say that the training regiment was brutal because _Before_ me was never very athletic. But for Azula's new, limber, _young_ body, it was only mildly tiring.

Firebending was _exhilarating_ , a massive power trip to the head. The feeling was hard to describe. It was like nothing could stop me, like I was a dragon of the tales of old, with immense, burning power just sitting under my skin, eagerly waiting to be used. It's the feeling you get after drinking coffee, when the caffeine finally kicks in, only it lasts _much_ longer. No wonder most firebenders were arrogant.

Some part of me recalled that since I died in a fire, I _should_ be traumatized and fear flames. But I've never been normal when it came to fear. Instead of getting scared, I would get angry. Running on spite was oh so very familiar. "Fear is the path to the dark side" indeed. Another thing that passed on to my current self. Of course, as Azula, I seemed far more in control of my temper. Thanks to practice and prior experience.

It was especially helpful for channeling my anger into my bending, given that that was what I was being taught. It was useful for continually being seen as a prodigy but the crash after burning out the rage was... exhausting. Like my past self, I became mostly apathetic to the world whenever I wasn't angry. I became aloof, numb and cold, especially after a session of firebending training. My new attitude was taken as yet another sign of my genius to my teachers and Father. Mother was worried about my emotionless state that would appear after crashing down from a firebending high, and wary. It confused and may have hurt Zuko who was used to me happily playing with him whenever I wasn't sleeping. I suspect that my lack of interest in playing with him, my prodigious status and the fact that I had a large share of our Father's attention made Zuko begin to resent me. Jealousy would become anger and he would use that as fuel when he finally manages to bend fire.

Naturally, I was right. Two years later, Zuko created flames out of anger at the age of eight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it me or are the chapters slowly getting longer?


	12. 11

It happened during a Kata practice. I was recently permitted to move on to the third set of intermediate forms. Zuko, on the other hand, had only just started learning the first intermediate set.

"Princess Azula, please watch carefully. I shall demonstrate the whole third set at normal pace, then each individual kata slowly. Now--Prince Zuko, please continue practicing your katas."

"Why can't I watch too? I can learn the third set too!"

"My apologies, Prince Zuko but you are not ready for the third intermediate set. You have yet to master the first intermediate set adequately."

"So? I _order_ you to teach me!"

"I cannot, Prince Zuko. I _will not_."

"You will! Teach me! The next! Set!"

"No, Prince Zuko. I will not. It is not advisable to do so. And control yourself. Your Father would be disappointed." _More than he already is_ , was unspoken.

"But you're teaching Azula!"

"She is ahead in her studies. Your sister is also ready and prepared to learn."

I remained silent and blank-faced, watching as the argument became louder and more furious.

He stomped his feet. "It's not _fair_!" _Fwoosh!_ Fire exploded out from under his feet and Zuko fell back onto his bum in shock.

Silence.

"...congratulations, Prince Zuko." Teacher smiled tightly. "I shall pass on the good news to Prince Ozai. Your schedule will have to be changed."

* * *

I had previously mentioned the crash after a firebending high and how I reverted to an emotionless, apathetic state. Just like a crash after a sugar high or a high that came from drugs, which is honestly far more accurate. You become listless, everything is dulled and you miss the high, the euphoria that came with it. Just like addiction, you become quite irritable, your self-control decreases and you lash out at anything and everything. Those are general symptoms, and not all of them apply to every addict.

For myself, I became indifferent, feelings became dull. A familiar state of mind, my old self never took drugs or drank alcohol, but life was dull. In both my lives, I had a distinct lack of empathy, or rather very very little of it. I could fake it if I had to, but emotions other than anger or apathy were hard to come by for me in both lives. It was laughably easy to adapt and fall back on old habits after firebending euphoria faded. A connection to my old self. _Remember who you are_ , so says Mufasa. As a side effect of using anger to firebend, dulled emotions and apathy, a mentality I had lived with before, was decent compared to many other things it could have been. It's also a pretty healthy mentality compared to canon Azula's. Better to be perpetually bored like canon Mai than a genius driven insane. I'd also managed to somehow cultivate a reputation of a lazy genius. During training, I'm brilliant, a firebending prodigy. Outside of it, I'm as energetic as a corpse and as unmotivated and slothful as a sleepily sunbathing dragon.

My brother, on the other hand, had the opposite side effect. His emotions were stronger, he was more impulsive, his temper shortened and more volatile. I would have chalked it up to hormones but he was only eight. Thankfully, Zuko's not a naturally angry person. Personality-wise, he's a lot like Mother; he cares a lot about this world and the living beings in it.

Which was very helpful when I tried to mend our relationship.

* * *

 "Hey."

Zuko whirled around in surprise. He frowned. "What are _you_ doing here?" he demanded. Reasonable, considering I had snuck into his room to ambush him.

"Eh," I waved a hand dismissively. "Just here to say congrats and stuff. I didn't get a chance to earlier, so congrats on your first time making fire."

Zuko blinked. "… Thanks…?"

I smiled lazily at him, "you're probably gonna end up joining me in bending lessons. Sifu's probably going to make us do basics 'cause basics are the foundation of bending styles."

"I'll catch up soon enough!" he snarled. "Did you come by just to _brag_ and complain that I'll be _slowing you down?_ "

Raising my hands up, palms out, I quickly tried to placate him. "Ah, no. Going over basics is good, leads to more reinforced foundation. I _am_ actually here to congratulate you."

With that, Zuko deflated.

"So!" I brought my hands together in a loud clap. "As I was saying, congrats on your first flame!" _Zuko gained 100XP! Zuko leveled up!_

He rolled his eyes so hard it should have hurt.

Ignoring that, I continued cheerily, "now we can do stuff together again!"

"You didn't want to play with me after you started firebending. Did you only want to hang out with me now because I'm a bender too?" He frowned, crossing his arms and sat on his bed.

"No!" I denied. "It's because you always wanted to play after I had my firebending lessons. Bending is _exhausting_!"

"Really?" Zuko looked surprised and confused. "I felt more powerful when I bent, and I didn't feel tired at all! You sure it's not cause you're lazy?"

"Ha ha." I deadpanned. "While I definitely agree that I'm lazy when I can be, you will eat your words tomorrow morning."

"What's happening tomorrow morning?"

"I told you. You're joining my firebending training. Sleep well, brother dear. You'll need all the energy you can get when Sifu gets you up at the crack of dawn and then mercilessly runs you into the ground under the guise of training."

* * *

Zuzu ate his words.

Sifu concluded his lesson for today and left us alone with the usual guards and servants in the private training ground. A minute passed and Zuko slumped to the ground wheezing. "My arms ache, my legs ache, my whole body aches! And I didn't even _know_ my mind could get exhausted too! How can you still _stand_?" He demanded.

"Brother dear," I breathed, trying to get my breathing rhythm back to normal. "I have been subject to this torture for _years_. Of course I would gain the ability to remain standing."

"Ugh."


	13. 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: From this point on, **OCs Galore! Beware of Wild OCs!**
> 
> This chapter was irritatingly frustrating to write because Azula _did not want_ to work with it. It was also supposed to be longer originally, but I decided to cut it so I'd update sometime this month.

Our school year typically starts mid to late autumn and ends around late spring or early summer. Like back on Earth.

We live on islands, I'd liken it to equatorial Pacific islands on Earth, originally volcanoes. And although we follow the rest of the world's four season calendar, in the Fire Nation, the locals think of it as two. One is the dry season, in which the weather is nice, calm and dry. This dry season is generally lasts from mid-spring to mid-autumn. The other is the wet season, which takes up the rest of the year. The majority of the school year also occurs during that season. It's called the wet season because of its heavy rain, strong winds and _typhoons_.

Other nations may question why the Fire Nation's school year occurs during typhoon season. I know _I_ used to. It didn't make sense as to why you'd put all the children together in a typhoon season. You'd lose an entire generation if they were lost. Then I found out that all the schools are on high ground, usually as far inland as possible, and that the buildings are almost as structurally sound as a Fire Temple or the Palace. The children would be mostly safe when typhoons occur.

The reason why the school year was not year round was the same as the old pre-technological boom days. Children had a long summer to early fall break to help on farms; summer being the season where many crops are in the midst of growth and need constant care and early fall, which is harvest season.

We have many different schools, several for peasants, a few for low ranked nobles, and two for mid to high nobles like myself. Zuko was enrolled in the esteemed Agni's Fire Academy for Boys at six.

And because I turned six, I too was entered into the education system. As the daughter of a Fire Prince, I was a high noble so I was enrolled into the Royal Fire Academy for Girls.

* * *

 

I'd forgotten how much I _hate_ children. Just another thing that passed on from Before.

Horrid creatures. Noisy. _Loud_. No respect for other people's personal bubbles. Ew.

We, as in my entourage of servants and guards and I, arrived at the entrance of the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Classes were delayed on the first day in order to encourage the children to mix and mingle and get to know each other in an informal setting. In other words, we were encouraged to socialize. I took one look at the crowd of shrieking, squealing small bodies and cringed.

Turning to Yun Fei, one of the servants, I said, "I came, I saw, I cringe in horror. Can we go home now?"

Yun Fei, the ass, chuckled at my predicament. "Sorry, Princess. School is mandatory."

"Can't I be home-schooled?"

"Princess Ursa has been adamant that you need to go to school to _socialize_ , if not learn."

I opened my mouth to retort that I _do_ socialize, but Yun Fei probably predicted my response.

He smiled cheerily, "with children your age, not just your family and servants."

Pursing my lips in distaste, I gave the school yard another once over. A few clung to their parent, nanny, servant, whatever. Some older girls were giggling together over yonder. Several were running around, chattering at each other. And so on.

Sending a pleading glance at Yun Fei, I whined, "can I not?"

The pretty bastard's smile grew foxlike and his eyes shut, reminiscent of Gin Ichimaru from _Bleach_. "'Fraid not, Princess. Oh, and your class starts in five minutes, so best to get going~" He sung and gently pushed me towards the doors of the school.

Reluctantly, I trudged to the doors. Just as I slipped through, Yun Fei yelled out an 'encouraging' goodbye.

"Bye, Princess! Good luck~ Your mother said to make lots of friends!"

Irritating bastard.

* * *

 

"Captain?"

Yun Fei spun to face Misaki, one of the female servants of Princess Azula. "Yes?"

"…Does the princess know where her classroom is? Or even which room it is?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Also, if I recall correctly, one of us must always be near the Princess? Within shouting distance?"

"…"

"… Sir?"

He gave her a bright smile and a jaunty wave. "I'm going to find the princess! Later!" And then he was off.

"…"

"And _he's_ supposed to be the princess's Head Guard?" Another guard spoke up after Yun Fei was out of hearing range.

"She's fond of him for some reason."

* * *

 

Class time. Joy. Just like the first day of university. … And I'm just as lost.

I stopped in the middle of the hallway and wracked my brain for the room number. Frowning, I realized that I had never been _given_ the room number _or_ teacher's name.

"Maybe I should look for my age mates?" I pondered. And then Yun Fei popped out of nowhere. Like daisies from the snow.

"Hiya princess!"

"I will set you on fire." Was my instinctive response to his irritatingly pretty apprearance.

"Your classroom is 103, by the way. And as a member of the Royal Family, a trained guard must accompany you at all times until you've either graduated or prove yourself to be a master firebender. After that, guards are optional," Yun Fei, with his pretty bastard face, quietly recited to me as he herded me towards the right room.

Once we arrived, Yun Fei moved over to one of the two women in the room, the elder one, and had a hushed conversation that I didn't hear. I was busy lingering in the doorway, sudenly paralyzed by old old social anxiety.

I flinched at the sudden sensation of someone patting me on the head. It was Yun Fei.

"You'll be fine, princess. Go take a seat, I'll be just outside since I have to be in screeching distance of you," he attempted to whisper reassuringly.

"I do not screech."

He chucked and fled, abandoning me to my Doom.

I cast my gaze over the room. There were several round tables evenly spaced from each other, with four seats each. A several of the tables were full, the rest were sparsely populated. Especially that one table in the back corner. Which was probably because of that girl reading a large book. Potential bookworm and source of somewhat intelligent conversation. Or, even better, _no_ conversation. Hmm.

Smiling to myself, I approached the book girl's table. "Excuse me, would you mind if I sat here?"

She blinked up at me, frowning slightly at the interruption. "Hm? Oh no, go ahead."

"Thanks." And with that, the girl went back to reading while I just sat there, enjoying the lack of conversation and waiting for the class to actually start.

* * *

The class started when the older lady closed the classroom door and the younger woman stood up in front of the chalkboard at the front of the room. She clapped loudly to grab the class's attention. 

"Okay, everyone! May I have your attention please! It's time to get started!" She paused for a moment and scanned the room. "…Thank you. Good morning. My name is Rin and I'll be one of the two main teachers of this class. You may call me Miss Rin. And this--"she gestured to the older Teacher Jie--"is your other teacher, Madame Jie."  

"Class, you will address me as either Teacher Jie or Madame Jie. I know that you all are young and nervous, as this is the first time many of you are away from your family for long periods of time, but I will not tolerate any misbehaviour." At that, she scanned the room, staring sternly at each student as if to emphasize the gravity of her warning.  

Miss Rin nodded in agreement. "Yes, indeed. You are all young ladies, so if you do misbehave, you will be given one warning. _One_. After that, any misbehaviour from you will be _dealt with_ _accordingly_."  

The class was quiet, hushed with unease.

Miss Rin smiled cheerily.  

"Now then, why don't we get to know each other a little, hm? Say your name and a couple of things about yourself. Likes, dislikes, things like that. For example, I am Miss Rin and I like teaching. I dream to be an inspiration to my students. Now let's start with one of you at this table." She pointed to the table closest to her. All four girls at the table looked at each other and held a short and silent conversation.  

"I'm Lu Si and I like turtleducks. Except when they're angry because then they get evil. I dream to be an actress." One of them announced importantly. It continued around the room, table by table. Honestly, I didn't really pay much attention to the introductions. Instead, I was debating whether or not I should indulge my inner troll and pull a Kakashi. Then suddenly, it was my turn.  

I beamed brightly. "Hi! I'm Azula. I like some things, I dislike several other things. My dream for the future... Eh. I have a few hobbies."  

Silence. Wonderfully baffled silence. My inner Kakashi was satisfied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She really _really_ didn't want to work with this chapter. The next may be delayed because real life and Azula not cooperating.


	14. 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a reminder, from this point on, OCs Galore!
> 
> Hit a block while writing this because... what normally happens in elementary school? I just bs'ed it.

After the first day, all the lessons were pretty much review on what I'd learned before under my tutors. There was nothing to note. I was clearly ahead of the curriculum, but then again, a couple of girls were too. I would have tried making friends with them but…

_I sat alone, eating my lunch. Chatter in the background. I was used to it, Before me wasn't exactly a social butterfly. People were exhausting. Some were less tiring than others. Before Me's closest friends weren't draining to hang out with at all. Also, the only potential friends here were children, and I was mentally much older. Yeah, being on my own is kinda… eh, but I could deal with it._

_I stood alone under the shade of a tree. Children ran around playing. I tried to gather courage to approach a group and talk to them but… fearanxiety overwhelmed me. It crippled me, and I froze. Scenes, memories and nightmares, played in my head. Rejection, humiliation, pain. Being bullied and lashing out in vengeance. A variety of potential incidents memories played out, all resulting in rejection, alienation and angerdisappointmenthumiliationragepainrage. I spent recess beside the tree, alone._

_I sat alone at a table. The whispers of children was white noise. …Ah. Now there's the hint of loneliness. It was fine, I was fine. I had Yun Fei, Zuzu, and Lulu. ... I was never really the one to make the first move, anyway. I don't even remember how Before Me gained friends. Just... Suddenly, I realized that yes, these are my friends. It was gradual and unnoticed. And they became my closest friends._

How do people become friends? I have no idea, and I don't think I ever did have an idea of how to make friends. All my friends from Before were either family friends or people from school who I somehow became friends with. I don't remember how. ... I was never really the one to make the first move, anyway. I don't even remember how Before Me gained friends. Just... Suddenly, I realized that yes, these are my friends. It was gradual and unnoticed. And they became my closest friends. ~~...they are the something that I sorely miss. What's lost is lost, the prospect's black. Too late, I've gone and can't go back...~~

Nonetheless, it was _boring_. Why was I going to school? I could learn more, faster if I was homeschooled. After three weeks of frustration and irritated boredom, I tried complaining to Mother.

* * *

 

"Mother, I already _know_ all the stuff they're teaching in school right now! I can learn faster with the tutors, why do I still have to go to _school_?" I whined petulantly, flopping over the cushioned arm of the couch Mother was seated on.

Mother sighed, "Azula, you are very intelligent. We recognize that. You don't need to go to school to learn--"

"Then can I--"

"Azula, you need to go to school so you can make friends. Friends your age. Don't you want friends, Azula?"

(I miss my home. I miss you guys)

"... I'll try. I-I don't _know how_ to talk to people, or make friends with them. It's just--people don't like weird, right? Because I'm weird. I'm too smart for a kid. People would think it's freaky and unnatural and--" I waved a hand in a vague gesture--"weird and stuff. It's weird and people don't like weird. I don't know how to be a normal person or how to make friends, but I'll try. I don't guarantee success, but I'll try."

"... That's all I ask, Azula."

To socialize, of course. Ugh. Troublesome. (She never said I _wasn't_ weird. That I wasn't unnatural. ...does she think _I'm_ unnatural?)

* * *

 

Another week passed and I had yet to make any friends. It was fine. I didn't need a lot of friends, just a few close ones. I had my family, Yun Fei and his minions. He'd also promised to one day make me meet his niece, so potential future friend there. School is school, a place of learning. Friends would just be the bonus.

… Friends would probably make coming to this school worth it, considering my tutors taught me all the stuff that Madame Jie and Miss Rin were currently trying to implant into our brains. I wouldn't be bored out of my skull if I had someone to talk to.

Well. Another day of school. Likely to be like all the others so far.

* * *

 

I was wrong. So very _very_ wrong. Why? Miss Rin thought it would be a good idea to assign group projects. Group projects about the Fire Nation and then _presenting_ said group projects. I _hated_ group projects.

She also let us form our own groups, so I wouldn't be unwillingly stuck with girls I don't know and probably wouldn't work well with. Problem is, I don't really know anyone in my class to form a group _with_.

I wasn't panicking. Panic was for when the crisis had passed. I was smiling, so clearly I was _not_ panicking.

While I was not panicking, a girl with a high braided ponytail bounced up to me. Literally bounced up to me. She _bounced_. Like a rubber ball.

"Hi!" she greeted. "Do you wanna join our group? 'Cause we need one more to have four."

"… Sure." Well, that was easy?

"Great!" She then proceeded to grab my arm and pull me over to her table where a pair of girls were sitting. "I got us a fourth person!"

"Great," stated one of the girls monotonously. She had her hair pulled up in two buns, like Sailor Moon, but with straight bangs that hid her eyebrows.

"Isn't it?" chirped the bouncy girl.

"It is indeed," agreed the other girl. She was rather pretty, elegant looking, with her hime cut and delicate features. _Weren't children supposed to classed under the adorable banner? Why was she so pretty?_ She smiled, "I know we were supposed to learn each others' names at the beginning of the year, but I believe it would be best for us to reintroduce ourselves." She gave a small sheepish smirk. "I know I personally have forgotten the names of those I do not regularly interact with."

I smiled, because I definitely agreed with that. "Okay, yeah. Good idea." I glanced around the table. "Who starts?"

"We can go clockwise. I'll start? Since it was my suggestion." The hime girl was on my right, meaning that I would be second.

No one protested so she went ahead. "My name is Mikoto. I look forward to working with you and maybe becoming good friends." She smiled serenely. _Was she sparkling?_

Mikoto turned her smile to me. _Mikoto used Dazzling Gleam! So much sparkles!_ "Your turn now," she prompted.

Oh. Right. I took a breath. "My name is Azula, and it's nice to meet you?"

"Nice to meet you too!" Bouncy was sat to my left, so she was next. "I'm Ty Lee and I love the colour pink! It's such a perky pinky colour!"

Wait, _what_?

Suppressing a double-take, I gave her a swift down-up search. I can't believe I didn't see it before. Her hair was in a braided high ponytail, her outfit was… well, it was pink, but not the pastel pink that I thought she'd have. More salmon pink.

Well then. I found a canon character. I suppose canon Azula met Mai and Ty Lee in school. Speaking of Mai…

The last girl sighed. "My name is Mai." Perpetual bored expression, check. Little to no emotion in voice, check. Yep, that's Mai from canon. "Any ideas for the project?" Mai asked.

"Well, we have several choices, don't we?" I asked.

"Yep!" Bounc--Ty Lee chirped. "History, geography, or culture! A presentation about our nation's history, about the islands themselves, or about fun things that make Fire Nation Fire Nation!"

"Xien Zi and her lot will certainly be doing a presentation on _Love Amongst the Dragons_. At least one group will do something about Sozin's Comet and the beginning of the war. I doubt many would pick anything about the islands themselves, so if we want to be original, we should do something about the islands."

Something about the islands? Like, say… how islands are made? _Volcano_. Boom. The typical science project: model a volcano with vinegar and baking soda. Ooh. Also, bonus firebender can make flamey magic. Ideas…

"--zula? Hellooo?" Ty Lee's voice broke me out of my daydream. I shook my head to clear it.

 

"So, do any of you know how the Fire Archipelago was made? As in how islands are formed?" I glanced around the table. Headshakes all around. "No? Well then." I sat back and like a tigercat that ate the canaryowl, I purred out, "you are in luck ladies, because I have _ideas_."

"Oh?" Mikoto raised a brow.

"Yesss…" I whispered reverently. "Let's do _Science_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is under the influence of Muse!BB!Azula and she's... flighty and lazy. Updates are sporadic because of her e_e


	15. 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of 2 chapters posted today.

The presentation of the model volcano was _glorious_. (The draft versions, not so much. Things kept getting set on fire for some reason. The fact that I'm a firebender had nothing to do with any of the lost and charred practice versions.)

Thanks to that group project, I found two canon characters and made friends. Our glorious friendships were to be a thing of legends, formed in the fires of… accidents. I swear, I _really_ had nothing to do with the random spontaneous flaming paper mache volcanoes. Really. The fire lamps just randomly flared, toppled over, hit the project, then _vwoosh!_ Fire!

But back to the presentation. Mai and I set up the volcano, and did the vinegar and baking soda thing. Ty Lee and Mikoto did all the talking and explaining because Ty Lee's infectious and energetic while Mikoto's got a way with words. Also, if I did the talking, I was liable to go off on a tangent of SCIENCE!! Mai simply didn't want to talk.

But yeah. I got friends. I told Mother about them and she seemed satisfied that I was socializing with my peers.

* * *

 

"Hey, Mom? You know how I had this group project thing for school?"

"Yes, I remember. What about it?"

"Well… I still talk to my group and kinda hang out with them even though we already did our presentation a week ago." I chewed nervously my lip. "Does-does that mean they're my friends now?"

Mother smiled, looking both amused and… relaxed? Relieved? "I do believe that does mean you are friends now."

… Oh.

* * *

 

Time passed.

Soon enough, it was late winter and Zuko turned nine. There was a party. Of course there was, we're royals. Well, I say party, but… um. Boring formal political party. The birthday boy and I pretty much spent the entire time whispering to each other about how boring the so called party was and pointing out people being ridiculous.

About a month after that, despite my efforts at slacking off, I had mastered yet another set of firebending katas. Father decided to step in and take over my training. He was a harsh taskmaster, always knew when I was faking being tired and slacking off. He demanded perfection, pushed me to actually work very hard. It was frustrating, it was _challenging_. I suppose his form of Father-Daughter Bonding was training. Sometimes, he'd take me aside and give me lessons on tactics, strategy, politics and other things. The efforts he put in to teach me life lessons and have bonding moments were nice, but…

He didn't do the same for Zuko.

Which… well, favoritism tends to cause strife.

I mean, I appreciated that Father was making efforts to bond with me, but the fact that he didn't do the same for Zuko, my brother and his own _son_ … It didn't sit well with me.

Mother at least _tried_ not to show obvious favoritism for Zuko. She did make sure to spend some time with me and me alone, for Mother-Daughter bonding. Moments like that between Mother and I had greatly decreased in frequency ever since Father started getting invested in my life. She spent more time with Zuko. I suppose it was only fair; I was Father's favorite while Zuko was Mother's favorite.

Zuko certainly didn't see it that way. I could probably guess what he was thinking: he was the firstborn, he was the son and not the daughter. Sure, he might not be a lauded prodigy like I appeared to be, but he was _trying_ , wasn't that enough for Father to take notice of him too?

His envy wasn't exactly over the top obvious, but he was my brother. I could just tell. Also, it was the logical conclusion that Zuko would get jealous due to Father's obvious favoritism. It was also inevitable that that would put some strain on our nice, pleasant, sibling relationship. That it was likely to cause us to drift apart and eventually maybe even hate each other for it. But Zuko was _my_ brother. In canon, the Fire Siblings didn't have a healthy relationship, heck, it wasn't even amicable. Obviously, I didn't want him to hate me, that would be detrimental ~~when~~ if he becomes Fire Lord. So I made sure to spend time with him, hunting him down to chat or play with, distracting him from his own homework and being a little sibling, read: nuisance.


	16. 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second of 2 chapters posted today. Merry Christmas, by the way. Or whatever winter celebration applies.

I knocked on the door to Zuko's rooms. "Zuzu?" I poked my head in and spotted him at the central table. Papers and books covered the tabletop. Feeling mischievous, I sang "do you wanna build a snowman~?"

He looked up from his work to blink owlishly at me. "What…?"

I grinned and made my way over. "I _said_ , 'whatcha doing?'"

His brow crinkled as he visibly questioned my sanity. Zuko likely came to the conclusion that I was weird and that he simply had to tolerate it by answering me. "Homework."

"Sounds _fun_." I took a seat across from him. "Do you want help?"

"It's poetry."

"Ah." I grimaced. "Nevermind then." It had become common knowledge amongst those I frequently interact positively with that I, to quote _both_ Lu Ten and Yuffie, 'don't know how to People'. Yun Fei and Lu Ten _both_ used that wording _exactly_. And since poetry is a people and emotions thing… I would be of no help.

"How close are you to being done?"

"I have to just finish up the last bit of my poetry analysis thing. If you wanted something, wait until I'm done."

"'Kay." I sat patiently in my seat. I was patient; I could wait.

…

No, I couldn't. I didn't even last a minute before I started squirming in my seat with impatience. "So--"

A knock at the door attracted both our attentions.

As we were in Zuko's rooms, he was the one to verbally reply to the knock. "Yes?" He called out.

The door opened and Lu Ten slipped in. "Hey, cousin!" He paused. "Or rather, cousins."

I lifted a hand in response. "Yo."

"So, are you two busy?"

"Nope."

Zuko sighed. "Well, I was doing homework, but… I guess I can do it later."

"Great! Want to head outside?"

"You're kidding, right?" I interjected incredulously.

Both Lu Ten and Zuko blinked at my interruption.

"In this weather?"

A pause. Lu Ten said slowly, "it's a perfectly nice day, Azula. Clear skies, warm breeze and all."

"It's _nap weather_." I emphasized, as if that explained everything. Which it did. To me, that is.

There was another pause in which my brother and cousin simply stared judgingly at me, clearly questioning my sanity. I was just as sane as Luna Lovegood, thank you very much.

"You are a tigercat in a human disguise, I swear baby cousin."

Zuko blinked and then his eyes went wide in realization. "I'd never thought of it like that. Lu Ten's right, you _are_ a human tigercat."

"Meow." I deadpanned. "I honestly feel so attacked right now."

Then we all broke out into giggles. Yes, giggles. No matter how much they would protest if I pointed it out, they giggled.

After the giggles died down, Lu Ten spoke. "Well, I was going to offer to teach you both some cool firebending tricks, but if you don't want to Azula, I guess it'll just be Zuko and I then."

"Awesome!"

"No no, I'm coming," I said. "But first, a correction."

In sync, Lu Ten and Zuko looked at me and raised a questioning eyebrow.

I smiled like a tigercat that ate the turtleduck. "There are no _cool_ firebending tricks. After all, fire is _hot_."

Their groans from secondhand embarrassment was music to my ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's Block and real life occurred. Ideas would be appreciated! Send prompts please? I might not actually use them but any ideas might help with the Block.


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